Starter for vapor apparatus.



P. H. THOMAS.

STARTER FOR VAPOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1904.

LQSLfiQQ Pa tented July 9,1912

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ELECTRIC COMPANY, on NEW YORK,

w JERSEY, nssrenon T0 ceornn'nnwrrr n. Y.,-A CORPORATION or'unw roan;

STARTER FOR VAPOR AFPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

resent-ea any a, rare.

To all who-11bit may concern Be i known that I, PERCY II. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Vapor Apparatus, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

I am aware-that it has been proposed to start mercury vapor apparatus by usinga supplemental positiveelectrodc which shall be brought into contact with the main negative electrode and afterward this contact shall be'broken, whereby the resistance normally existing at the negative electrode is initially broken down and curent afterward flows bet-ween the main negative electrode and the main positive electrode. Under these circumstances the suplemental positive electrode is normally connected with the circuit and the current flows between the said sup lemental electrode and the main negative electrode when contact made as described. It is on the rupture of the circuit carrying this current that a flow through a portion of the vapor is inaugurated and the flow is afterward transferred to the main body of the vapor.

I have discovered that the initial negative electrode resistance may be broken down by means of a material which may either normally be in contact with the main negative electrode or may be brought into contact therewith, this material not being included in the'circuit-and not being vitalized by the current flowing through the apparatus or any part thereof. l/Vhen the negative electrode makes contact .with the material thus described, or is separated therefrom, while the operating current is applied to the main electrodes, a flow of current may be established between the said main electrodes through the vapor. So far as I can at presentexplain this phenomenon, it results from thebreaking up of the surface tension at the negative electrode by reason of the clinging or adhering of the mercury to the described material, thus permitting the entrance ofthe electric current intothe' negative electrode without encountering the resistance which normally belongsto-the said.

electrode. In general, the material selected for the purpose described should be a mate rial that-1s wetted by mercury.

In order. to cause contact between the mercury and the described material, I may simply jar or agitate the apparatus slightly by hand, and by the same means I may separate the mercury from the material. Or, I may use electromagnetic means for making or breaking the contact for the purpose described.

The material selected may be mercury and I have found that such material. on being brought into contact with or separated from the mercury of the main electrode will cause a sufficient breaking up of the surface tension of the said electrode to start a flow of current. Another material which may be utilized for the purpose is an amalgamo't any suitable metal which may be placed in such relation to the negative electrode as to be readily moved into contact and out of contact therewith.

Broadly considered, the invention consists in starting a mercury vapor apparatus by providing means whereby the normal surt'acc tension of the mercury can be momentarily broken down so as to remove a few molecules from the. attractive action or" the l'noleeules in the immediate neighborlmod thereof, and thus break down the normal resistance of the electrode at a particular point or points.

@therwise expressed, the invention consists in physically overcoming the cohesion of certain of the particles of one of the elec trodes while an electric strain is the electrodes, the said overcoming oi" the cohe- Referring to the first figure of the drawing, l-is a container, generally of glass, 2 and 3 are positavaeleotrode's-therein, an is a common negative electrede which may be of mercury. The electrode 4 is the main negativeelectrode' of the apparatus. At a point outside of the container 1 may form a pocket, 5, containing mercury, 6, the electrode at and the body of mercury in the pocket 5 being separated by a wall,-7, of the same material as the container. I find that by jarring the container so as to bring some oi the mercury from the pocket 5 into contact with the mercury of the electrode 4, a condition is created at the surface of the said electrode which enables current to pass 1 from one or the other of the positive electrodes 2 and 3 through the apparatus into the negative electrode. The theory which I hold at present in respect to the action thus 2, and a negative electrode 4.

magnet at the will or the operator.

described is that at a point or points near where contact takes place between the mercury running over from the pocket 5 and the mercury ot' the electrode 4:, the surface tension oi. the mercury constituting the said electrode is momentarily broken down, whereupon current may pass through the apparatus ias described. It will be understood that when the agitation oi the con- .tainer takes place, the circuit outside the vapor apparatus is closed so that current is ready to flow as soon as the normal negative electrode resistance is broken down. By the means oescribcd such a breaking down takes place and current will flow even though, as shown, the mercury 6 in the pocket 5 is normally entirely disconnected from the circuit.

In Fig. 2 I show three positive electrodes, 2*, 3 and 8, and a common negativeelectrode, at. The extra material, which in this instance may be mercury, is shown at 9 in the small pocket, 10, formediat one side of the container. The action is the same as that already described Referring to Fig. 3 I here show a -con: tainer, 1, having a single positive electrode, I arranged inside the container 1 aspring, 11, which may be of iron having a tip, 12, of some ma terial which is wetted by mercury or whatever conducting liquid constitutes the negative electrode. This part 12 may be an amalgam of mercury and some suitable metal, such as copper. The tip 12 maybe normally'in contact with the mercury of the negative electrode, or it may be just out In Fig. 4 I show a point, Lt, which may be of platinum, or of other material, which is capable of being wetted by the liquid con stituting the negative electrode 4, the'said. point being normally located just below the surface of the liquid electrode. When the apparatus'is tilted by hand or by other means, the point. may be made to project slightly above the surface of the liquid,

whereupon a breakingldown of the surface tension will take place which permits the passage of current as already described.

I have indicated in dotted lines the position to which the liquid may flow under'the influence of a tilting of the container.

The theory of action given hereinis that which at present I believe to be correct. At the same time, I do not wish to depend upon the correctness of the said theory, believing that in any case, whether the said theory is correct or not, the disclosure herein made is sufiicient to enable one skilled in the'art to make and use the invention described herein. In other words, I believe that with the present disclosure as a basis, any person skilled in the art can start and operate a vapor electric apparatus .whether used for lighting or other purposes, depending upon the structural features disclosed, and without regard to the theory of operation which is herein set forth. Accordingly, while the claimsihercin made specify in language a certain theory of action, yet. it is not desired that the claims should be invalidated by reason of any insufiiciency or incorrectness in respect to the theory devised.

"I claim as my invention 1. In a vapor electric apparatus having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and containinga material in proximity to the negative electrode, the said. material be ing independent of the-circuit of the apparatus but capable of beingwetted by the liquid of the negative electrode, means for changing the contact relations of the said material and the liquid, whereby thesurface tension of the liquid is momentarily broken down. r

2. In a mercury vapor apparatus, a posi tive electrode, a negative electrodeof mercury, a material near the negative electrode capable of being wetted-thereby but. independent of the circuit of the apparatus, 'such material being normally in contact with the negative electrode, and means for separating the said material andthe negative electrode momentarily broken down.

' 3. In a mercury vapjer apparatus wherebythe surface tension oft-he latter compris ing a hermetically sealed and completed exhausted container, a pluralitj of anodes therein and a vaporizable cathode, stariing means comprising an insulated pocket for mercury in cooperative relation with said cathode.

Signed {1* New York, in the county of m as New York, and Stevie of New York, this 21st day of May, A. D. 1904.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

WM, H, CAPEL, GEGRGE H. S'rocmmoon.

h asflrcssmg the Kiommissioner of Eatents, 

